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Shane Nokes 739

That's not how it works. I got Retail disc from TechNet, I installed it and activated with the key I got from upgrade assistant. I installed on a NEW empty SSD, that computer had no other drives.

What seems to determine if it activates it succesfully is one registry key. When doing a clean install, by default that registry key is 0 when installing from Retail disc and activates ok, if installed from upgrade media that key is 1 by default and your activation fails. Changing that key to 0 when installed on upgrade media activates it without errors.

I think that the keys that come trough uprgade assistant are actually full retail keys, not upgrade. That upgrade media that it downloads limits if it can be uset as a clean install or not. Dunno why they did the upgrade assistant like this.

But it's true that usually it has worked as you stated, this is just how upgrade assistant works, it gives retail keys and it is limited as upgrade on media.

That would be very odd I'd that were the case.

That would break the entire concept of the key controlling the install type. Well at least it would for this specific scenario.

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Colin McGregor 569

when I got my pc it came with vista, I later got the windows 7 upgrade disk for free for buying the pc a week before win7. I now use the win7 upgrade disk as a retail fresh install. I just hit custom and delete the partition and click next. It installs win7 fresh with no hp bulk crap. So the win8 might be the same.

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Shane Nokes 739

Shane Nokes 739

when I got my pc it came with vista, I later got the windows 7 upgrade disk for free for buying the pc a week before win7. I now use the win7 upgrade disk as a retail fresh install. I just hit custom and delete the partition and click next. It installs win7 fresh with no hp bulk crap. So the win8 might be the same.

The question wasn't clean install...it was full install. In other words bare empty drive with nothing to upgrade from. :)

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George P 4,768

MS says you can do clean installs BUT you have to have an older windows installed already. I also wonder if you can, when you pick to keep nothing (which starts a clean install) if it asks you where to install it and if you can then pick a new hdd in the process.

You can use the upgrade media to go from 32bit to 64bit but they say you lose everything in the process, so it does a clean install. My question after this is do you get to pick the location? I also want to upgrade from Win7 32bit to Win8 64bit but put it on my new SSD and not the same HDD Win7 is installed on right now.

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xanonline 4

xanonline 4

Generally that's the case with VL & OEM Keys and such, but not as common with retail keys.

Using a random one for install I agree, but using a random one just to give to someone to verify that it's a working key? Much more likely...which is why the license terms specifically state that you need to have a copy of the OS already installed on the drive in order to do the upgrade.

Any other method is a violation of the licensing terms.

There's a difference between a "working" key and a "valid" key. A valid key can be used to say that it's a genuine key, but that doesn't mean it's going to work if it's been overused. I'd have expected blacklisting to be higher on retail keys because they can be used on anything, unlike OEM keys.

If you've already got a copy of Windows installed and activated (the right way), it's unlikely that would be achieved with a key found online, as it wouldn't activate online or by phone after being used more than 30~ times or so.

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+ir0nw0lf 454

Actually that's not what that article says at all. That article details an upgrade from a hard drive that has a modified Win7 install.

So that doesn't answer the question. I already provided the correct answer.

Might want to go re-read the article completely. The first part of it talks about him using a SLIC-injected BIOS/non-legit Windows. Bottom of article is another scenario:

Popular Questions

For users who are wondering if you can use the Upgrade version of Windows and do a clean install on a system with no OS ? Yes, you can. This is a question most people ask, worrying that they have to first install a preceding copy of Windows before using Windows 8 upgrade. If your computer goes up in flames in future or your drive dies and you have to start completely fresh: No problem, just stick in the DVD / USB, boot from it, enter your product key and you?re good to go. You do not need an OS or its old product key.

It is clear from above that the Upgrade Assistant simply verifies if you qualify to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro and if you do, allows you to purchase a Windows 8 Pro license. This license or product key is to a full version of Windows 8 Pro. The moment the license/product key is sold to you ? it is good for full installations of Windows 8 Pro. I hope this clarifies the queries of most people. You don?t have to keep your old OS / old product key. Just keep the Windows 8 Pro product key assigned to you.

You don?t have to keep your old OS / old product key. Just keep the Windows 8 Pro product key assigned to you.

Also, non legit copies of Windows 7 activated via SLIC injection qualifies for the upgrade. I encourage people who have been using non legit copies of Windows 7 to take advantage of the US$39.99 offer to convert to a legit copy of Windows 8. It?s really cheap for a fully featured OS.

Now this does not 100% specify if the author actually did try the install on a fresh, empty drive.

BTW everyone, didn't mean to start WWIII in this thread, just trying to find the answer. So many different install scenarios and lots of inconsistent and/or unverified answers. I certainly don't expect an actual MS employee to jump in and give an answer.

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Joni_78 48

That would break the entire concept of the key controlling the install type. Well at least it would for this specific scenario.

Any info that backs that up out of curiosity?

Yes, it's odd why they did it like this. No info, I just tested it and it worked, I was sure it would complain about the fact I did a clean install when it tries to activate but no. It was a laptop with a new SSD I just reveived, booted from TechNet disc, used key from upgrade assistant, made partitions and formatted. After installation was complete it was activated.

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Shane Nokes 739

Yes, it's odd why they did it like this. No info, I just tested it and it worked, I was sure it would complain about the fact I did a clean install when it tries to activate but no. It was a laptop with a new SSD I just reveived, booted from TechNet disc, used key from upgrade assistant, made partitions and formatted. After installation was complete it was activated.

In that case then it's an FPP key not an upgrade key.

So the answer still remains that the key determines the install type.

If they are handing out FPP keys that is awesome :)

so we can conclude that, yes, my usb stick that the upgrade assistant turned into a bootable installer will in fact install and activate windows 8 on a brand new hard disk?

Depends on what key you have and what info is true. Earlier someone said the upgrade assistant files have a modification that prevents it and someone else said no it doesn't.

It's a crap shoot knowing who is right and wrong at the moment evidently.